Codename: Freedom - Book 4 - Chapter 29

When the time had come for me to leave Vanguard, I simply stayed put. Destiny had access to the version of herself outside my cube. No one came to force me to leave, so I kept training. I had to admit it was a relief to have some semblance of control over my free time again. Free time was training time.

Keeping the energy inside me dormant wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Since the body and psionic energy had a natural synergy, even the most basic movements could cause energy to churn like turbulent waters. It was just a tedious process that required more attention than it seemed like it should have. Half way through the night, I grew comfortable enough with the process that it became less annoying.

There was nothing exotic about my bodyweight training. Being a sweaty guy jumping around in a giant steel dome room was a little strange though. It felt like was in some kind of space cruiser instead of planetside. I’d never been off world though, so being on Hectate in the prime simulation made me a bit of a space explorer. It was much more realistic than my forays into the known galaxy through metaverse hubs. I’d had such fantasies when I was younger like any child, but they had taken a back seat when I came of age to start developing my career.

Before I got too deep into meditation after my first workout, I spent some time shopping with Destiny. The first this I asked her to calculate was how much it would cost for me to have my own Psionic Recovery Chamber. I wouldn’t actually need one in sim, but if I decided to go through with it I’d still try to have one installed on base. Since anything I bought would also be created and installed in the real world, it seemed silly not to.

Destiny had a reply soon after. “It would take a minimum of three billion SP and at least a million in maintenance and run cost each year. The ongoing cost would entirely depend on how often you used it.”

The crazy thing was that I wasn’t shocked out of my mind. Because I’d been able to scrap together a little over a billion SP before Vanguard started, it just didn’t seem as ridiculous as it once had. Even now though it would take a lot of effort to earn so much. It might not even be possible without taking years to accumulate enough. With only two hundred million left to my name besides my investment fund, I had a long way to go. About eight hundred million would be paid back to me by Prodos, though…

There was a question I’d been meaning to ask. “How does this simulated chamber work exactly? Since I’m not really in a PRC but my cube, is it really psionic energy surrounding me?”

“Oh, yes,” Destiny confirmed without hesitation. “The cube is a closed system and each one has excessive energy requirements. Once you step on the platform and the door to your cube closes, you’re basically in an even more advanced recovery chamber. Psionic energy can fill your cube just as easily as heat or cold. The pressure is also identical. From what I’ve seen from your short time in Vanguard and year spent in Freedom, the typical cube should have access to every known type of energy conversion.”

I felt my recovery technique slip as I considered what she’d just said. “If that’s the case, how much would it cost to purchase my own cube?”

Just from the look she gave me I knew it would be a lot, but then she answered. “I’d estimate one hundred billion—and that’s if they would even allow it. Remember, the cube isn’t solely Earth technology but designed by the Jinhwa. The government saves most of their money by building multiple cubes at the same location. There’s no reason to have a single reactor and conversation system for each cube if you build them in bulk.”

“Ouch,” I mouthed. It seemed the package she had had me purchase to give me cube access was the way to go.

After my second workout session, I began meditating in earnest. I paid careful attention to the feeling the recovery technique gave me. My psionics were reacting to my body’s need like usual and trying to passively heal me, but, after a few minutes, I concluded what stilling the energy inside me was really doing. Using a technique required me to pull from my energy stockpile. A portion of that energy was always present inside my body. The other, larger portion was stored elsewhere. Peter and Victoria had already admitted that no one knew exactly where or how this energy was stored. It could be observed and measured, but that was the extent of it.

When using an ability, energy was pulled from both sources. The Psionic Energy Maximum was combined the two, where Psionic Power was the total energy that could be utilized at one time. What the recovery method allowed was for the energy in the room to be absorbed by the body to replenish it. This meant that the primary source didn’t have to work as hard to replenish the energy in the body. It seemed it would always work to keep the body filled with a certain amount.

There really wasn’t much to it other than that. Part of me wanted it to be more complex, but just as with my psionic power’s growth, the main thing I needed was patience.

As Achilles had taught me, I didn’t clear my mind, but filled it. Since I seemed to be constantly struggling with impatience, I began trying to understand why. My mind was constantly on the endgame, and yet I hadn’t given myself time to even develop to my full extent. Until I did, I was dwelling on a problem that was impossible to solve. Once I neared my full psionic potential, then I could really start to figure out what to do next.

I’d be lying if I said my mind didn’t wander. There were faster paths to power. Enhancing my body like the Ekseliksi was one. Even though some of their methods were illegal, many of them were not.

There was also the path of the Jinhwa. To enhance through cybernetics was also a real possibility. There were some legal limitations there as well. What was legal and illegal seemed to revolve around one thing—continuing to look human.

It was socially frowned upon to get most enhancements on either side, but there were exceptions. Lens and audio cybernetics were extremely common. It was just as common for people to get stronger bioengineered joints as they got older, and their natural joints wore out. After the first surgery, the decision for a second and third came much easier.

My mind turned to the Ekseliksi elite we’d faced. His enhancements had seemed to turn his limbs and skeletal system as hard as tempered steel. It also didn’t seem to negatively affect his psionics.

That was my main fear. If I decided to enhance myself further, would it hinder my ability to use psionics. My current potential was unknown but compared to my peers I seemed to be amongst the most talented. Stunting my growth because of my impatience would be a true tragedy.

Was I really that talented, or just harder working than most? I could honestly say there wasn’t anyone that put in as many hours as I did. One of the reasons was because of my psionic healing ability. I simply didn’t need to sleep as often as normal users would. Regardless of the answer, what I needed to do remained the same.

Before bed that night, I reached out to Victoria as was my custom. When she didn’t get back to me right away I wasn’t surprised. It was possible she was in the middle of something or already passed out. It was obvious from our earlier conversation that things weren’t progressing as easily as planned.

***

I found myself the next morning marching with the same group I had on day one. The time was limited to an hour. I’d put a workout in right before it, so it didn’t feel like too much of a waste of time. I rebuked myself for thinking it. I felt less impatient, but I still needed to bring my thoughts captive and keep them in line.

When I arrived at the Jungle, Mara was waiting for me. She wore a deep pink leotard and was giving me a challenging look.

As competitive as she acted as we got started, whether I was able to follow the line she took or not didn’t seem to matter. If I did well, she’d tease me. If I messed up, she was quick to give me some pointers. Half way through our session as we were jumping from one lower lying roof to another, everything else slipped from my mind and I was enjoying myself.

The jump itself wasn’t difficult. It was eight feet from edge to edge and we were only six feet in the air. There were even pads below between the two false buildings in case you fell. Before we moved up to the more realistically sized obstacles, she said it was good to work on something like it just to gain confidence. It wasn’t something I thought I needed, but when she jumped the first time and front flipped across the gap, I couldn’t help but to try something a little more interesting.

Perhaps trying one of my first front flips over an eight foot gap was a bad idea. Mara had jumped off both feet. My natural inclination was to jump off one. Without putting much thought into it, I ran at the ledge and jumped off one foot like normal.  I threw my hands down and tucked. Everything felt just fine as my forward momentum seemed plenty to carry me across the gap. As I finished my rotation in the air, I was only halfway through my descent.

Eyes wide, I stretched out my hands to catch myself from faceplanting. I’d been keeping my aura to a minimum, but I pushed it up to rank F as my hands came in contact with the stone roof. Grimacing, I came to a stop with my face a few inches from the platform.

Hearing a stifled giggle, I climbed to my knees and found a hand waiting for me. I grabbed it as Mara helped me to my feet.

“That’s so embarrassing,” she said. “Trust me. I’ve been there—when I was six.”

“You’re so helpful,” I replied, sticking out my tongue.

“You’re so welcome.” She hung on my shoulder as she laughed. “But really, messing up is the best way to learn what not to do. A couple thousand more and you’ll have it.”

“Is that all?”

“Pretty much. The only way to develop your sense of what to do while falling is to fall. You need time in the air.”

I knew that she was right. Thinking back to the Ekseliksi elite and how he’d used Othisi to push himself off the ground to fly there made me realize how true it was. Thousands of times probably wouldn’t cut it. There were still a few days before my psionics would be fully recovered, but once they were, I had to consider spending even more time in the Jungle.

“I wish this place was in simulation. That way I wouldn’t have to worry as much about getting hurt,” I said mostly to myself.

“Don’t be worried. Until you’re a hundred feet in the air, even if you land on your head, simply brain trauma and spine fractures aren’t difficult to fix. The medical drones here don’t look like much, but they’re top of the line.”

“She right,” Destiny private messaged me. “The response time of the med-drone average 1.7 seconds. With your psionics and the nanobots running through your system on top of it, even the snapping of your neck and brain bruising are easy fixes. A fracture where the skull pierces the brain would be the most likely cause of death, but even then it’s not impossible to save a person. The recovery time would be inconvenient though.”

“So let’s go again.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Mara replied with a grin. “Let’s forget the rest of the obstacles and focus on this one if you want to try new things. Maybe start out with your rank G aura. The jump will take less effort and it will be easier to do it the same way every time.”

She took a few steps back to get the distance necessary for her running jump. “I won’t make fun of you for jumping off one foot.” She paused, obviously doing just that. “But you need to be consistent. It will help you get a feel for being in the air.”

Taking off toward the edge, her aura only glowed red the moment she jumped. She tucked her knees to her chest as she flipped and landed more than a meter past the opposite ledge. I couldn’t help but to admire the grace in which she pulled it off. Her figure was also impossible to ignore.

With a salute, she turned sideways to glance back. She inclined her chin as if to say you better be looking.

My face slightly reddened. Squinting, I held her gaze, then feigned annoyance and gestured with my hand for her to move out of the way.

She did a quick shake of her hips, before strutting off. If I didn’t know her personality, I would’ve taken her flirting more seriously. I had to admit I liked the attention. It also made me regret not being able to spend more time with Victoria. I was much more practiced at ignoring such thoughts than I was my impatient ones.

At the end of our session, I noticed her lightheartedness again faded. Before she could go off and sulk on her own, I met her outside the changing room. Her hair hadn’t changed, but she now wore her custom ballistic suit.

Nothing was said, but we left the building together. I wasn’t even sure we were heading to the same place. She didn’t leave my side as I headed for the cubes.

“How are you doing?”

“Better,” she replied. “I think. I’m trying not to place any more meaning behind that monster’s actions that were actually intended. Like you said, it was a sign of respect. I should be flattered.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” I chuckled lightly.

“Me neither.” She laughed with me. “It just wasn’t something I expected when I signed up for this.”

My mind went to HandshakeDeath and his going to Vector to talking about his possibly quitting. “Are you having second thoughts about being here?”

“What? No.” She pushed my arm. “The moment I let myself start thinking that is the moment I’ll start coming up with excuses. I don’t do excuses.”

“That’s great. That way of thinking, I mean.”

She skipped forward a step, spun and cut me off. Poking me in the chest, she responded. “You mean, for a girl?”

“Uh, no…”

“If you think I get emotional and sometimes have difficulty thinking things out logically—you’d be right.”

Because of the scowl she was giving me, what she said took a moment to register. As understanding crossed my face, she cackled.

“I’m messing with you, Lucius,” she said, poking me again. “I’ve always got super emotional after every competition whether win or lose. I admit it. In many ways I’m a stereotypical girly girl, and I’m not ashamed of it. What I’m trying to say is you don’t have to worry about me. This is how I get, but I’m pretty good at getting out of myself out of a funk.”

I nodded that I understood but didn’t let the topic drop. “Do you have anyone to talk to?”

She looked at me like she thought I was crazy. “Yeah. There’s mom, and nana, my bro, but even though his advice is usually good, he gets mad when I don’t take it right away. Then there’s Bella, Dream, Drool, Amelia, and—well you get the picture. Did you miss the part where I said I’m typical?”

“No. No. You’re just not the only one struggling and I wanted to make sure.”

“That’s great. That way of thinking, I mean,” she said impishly. “For a guy.”

She spun and continued walking before I could respond. “Typical. Always looking to help fix everything.” She glanced back. “Thank you.”

In many ways, Mara reminded me a lot of Victoria, but she was bubblier and less reserved.

It was only when we reached the bunker that she turned and asked me, “Where are we going exactly?”

I lost it, not meaning to laugh at her expense.

As girly as she might have been, she certainly wasn’t airheaded. She laughed with me and added. “I’m actually going to go meet with Amelia. She and I need to have a good talk. Thanks again, Lucius.”

“And thank you for escorting me,” I said with an embarrassed chuckle. I thought of asking her if she wanted me to walk her to wherever it was she was going but thought better of it. Even if the world wasn’t clear on Victoria’s and my relationship, I was. I wouldn’t hesitate to be of help to my friends, but that was as far as I’d go.

After she left, I stopped at the lip of the ramp looking toward bunker’s entrance, but my mind was elsewhere. There was only enough time for a few more workout sessions before Hectate’s exploration would begin. I’d see the guys when I got there, so I decided to skip lunch as I had breakfast and would eat in the recovery chamber.

With that settled, I headed down the ramp.

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I went back and made sure Victoria mentioned Huan in the past chapter. He and HandshakeDeath, as well as the other stealth-minded participants might get to put something together in the near future. :D